Structural frame



April 2, 1935.

E. w. COLEMAN STRUCTURAL FRAME Filed Aug. 8, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Vgwuento'o Elmer M Calamari Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITED STATESSTRUCTURAL FRAM ElmerW. Coleman, Jamestown, N. Y., assignor to DahlstromMetallic Door Company, James town, N. 'Y., a corporation of New York'Application'August 8, 1931, Serial No. 555,927

8 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to an improvement in structural frame work andmore particularly to an arrangement for retaining shelving forlibraries, reference files, and also frames for filing drawers, bins,etc;, in buildings where considerable space is devoted to a systematicmethod of storage. I

The prefered' embodiment of this invention discloses a structurecomprisinga plurality of spaced upright supportingmembers, substantiallystarshape in cross section, which are secured to the floor. Rectangulardeck plates are arranged and supported at convenient vertical intervalsto any desired height. The structure obtains its lateral support byengaging the walls of the building or only available floor space duringprocess of erec-' tion was the ground floor; In applicants structure,however, the deck plates which are placed in position as erectionprogresses, provide a safe support for the workman as well as forthematerial to be used in assembling the next tier.

This invention reveals as its principal object a structure forsupporting library shelving, etc., having a substantially'integral deckformed by a plurality of deck plates at each floor level.

Another object of the invention lies in the provision of a supportingstructure for library stacking, filing shelves, etc., comprising uprightmembers of substantially star-shaped cross section to which deck platesare attached.

A further object of'the invention is to provide, in a-structure forsupporting library stacking, means for rigidifying each individual tieragainst longitudinal displacement.

A still further object of the invention lies'in the provision of alibrary stacking structure having a relatively small number of parts andwhich may be easily superposed by additional structure or otherwisealtered as desired.

Other and further objects of the invention may be more clearlyunderstood from a consideration of the following specification which istaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in which Fig. 1is a perspective view of an assembled Longitudinal support of the .deckplates; and I a Fig; 10 shows a rail attached to a deck plate.

(Cl. 189-34) i t structure showing a portion of one tier andone aisle,and embodying one form of the invention? Fig. 2 is anenlarged'vertical'sectional View of the deck, being taken substantiallyon the line 2-2 of Figure 1; V

Fig; 3 is a vertical sectional view, showing the connection between deckplates, being taken'substantially on the line 3-4: of Figure 2; Fig. 4is an enlarged plan view of the star sec-. tionsupporting member orstrut, showing the method of attaching" vertically adjacentmemberstogether andof securing the deck plates to these members; Fig. 5is a plan view showing how adjacent deck plates are positicned'withrespect to each other and to the supporting members; 5

Fig. 6 is a plan View of one of the deck plates; Fig. 7 is a sectionalview'taken substantially on theline l'-i of'Figure 6;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view taken sub.- stantially on the line38 of Figure 6;

Fig. 9 represents the fillermember or [shim which is interposedbetweentheends of adjacent Referringto the drawings and particularly toFigure 1, a supporting structure is shown consisting of aplurality ofstar-shaped structural elements or columns which will be generallyindicated by the reference numeral. Hi, details of which will be more.fullydisclosed later in the specification. I

The columns are preferably arranged in straight lines at points whichdefine'a plurality of equal rectangles. adapted to be secured to themain or ground floor by means of angle knes' H which are suitablyfastened at the floor of each column by boltsl2.. Secured to the upperportion of each column by means of bolts l3 are rectangular deck plates.40 The ends of said deck plates terminate in down-1 wardly' projectingflanges l6 whilethe sides are terminated by downwardly projectingchannel flanges H. Parallel to and a short distanceto V ward the centerfrom the end flanges I5 are a pair of spaced bent upfianges or curbs,{8:which may be formed integral with the-deck plate I 4. "These flangesiii are adapted to form parallel aisles 19 for each tier. Longitudinalopenings 26] adjacent the flanges l8 serves as ventilators to conductfresh air or light from one tier to the next. The surface between curbsl8 may be covered with a composition sheet, block flooring, or any othersuitable material 2|. V i

The end portions of the deck l4, commencing The lower. columns are andsupport shelving .against bending to the I beam section formed adjacentthe flange i6 and terminating at the opening 20, constitute the entirestorage space of the structure. These portions serve to receive orsuitable book receiving units.

At convenient intervals and on both sides of the aisles are locatedcross-tie rods 22 which may be fastened from a point on the upperportion of one of the columns ID to a point on the lower portion of thenext adjacent column on the same side of the aisle. The extreme ends ofthe tie rods are provided with hooks 23 which are inserted in suitableopenings conveniently located in the flanges of the column Ill.Turnbuckles 24 or any other device for adjusting the length of the tierods 22 are mounted thereon and serve as a means for tightening saidrods to the desired tension. 7

It should be pointed out'that between adjacent deck plates there is anarrow gap the width of which is dependent upon the thicknessof thecolumnflanges which support these plates. In orderto bridge this gap andtie adjoining plates together to form a continuous deck, a shiIhZG hasbeen interposed between said plates which is secured to the adjacentvertical portions of the channel I1 in any suitable manner as by boltsShims 26 also lend additional resistance by the two reversely disposedchannels II.

The deck'plate 33, shown in Figure 10, is provided with curbs 34 whichmay be attached in sections or may be continuous throughout the lengthofthe aisle. These curbs take the form of angle elements which arewelded or bolted in place on the plates.

support conduits, water pipes, gas pipes and other conducting mediums29. 'Since the interposed tiers as well as the adjacent deck plates aremounted on columns in exactly the same manner as the sectionshown inFigure 1, further description of the elements is believed to beunnecessary. Columns It may be continued' upwardly by'splicingadditional columns of substantially identical cross section tothe onebeneath and may be acccm'plished in many different ways, one of which{is clearly illustrated in Figure 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings.Short'sections of the angle plates 31 maybe secured totheends" ofabutting cclumns by means of bolts 32.

The columns I0, shown in the present structure are preferably formedfrom a pair of oold'or hot rolled structural angles or bent up angles-With the heels faced'off atan angle to both flanges. The faces thusformed are brought togetherand welded or otherwise suitably joined.

one modification of. his invention, he does not,

intend to be limited thereto since it is obvious to those skilled intheart that other modifications' or adaptations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit and. scope of the invention as set forth inthe hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which Idesire protection by Letters Patent is:

l. A deck plate for structural frames, channel flanges terminating thesidesof said plate, integral curbs formed in said plate, said curbsserving to support flooring material and producing openings outside theflooring area which serve to conduct air and light above or below saidplate.

2.-.In a deck for structural frames, a plate, upstanding means spacedinwardly from the ends of said plate, said means being alignable withthe corresponding means of the next adjacent plate to providesubstantially continuous curbs between which to locate and retainsuitable flooring.

3. In a deck for structural frames, a plate, spaced upstanding meansformed integral with the face portion of said plate, said means beingspaced inwardly from the ends of said plate and alignable with thecorresponding means of the next adjacent plate to provide substantiallycontinuous curbsbetween whichto locate and retain suitable flooring.

4. In a deck for structural frames, a plate, spaced flanges runningtransversely of the face portion of said plate, defining a flooringarea, saidflanges being removed from the ends of said plate, and wallsdefining ventilating openings in said porticnoutside of the flooringarea. I

5. In a deck. for structural frames, a plate having a face portion,spaced, vertical flanges formed from said portion, said flanges servingto locate and retain suitable flooring material, and wallsdefiningopenings in said portion outside of the flooring area.

6. In a library stack structure having a plurality of columns, a deckplate secured to each of said columns andserving to prevent lateraldisplacement thereof, spaced portions of said plate serving to receiveand support shelving or book receiving units, and meansinterposed'between said portions for locating and retaining suitableflooring material. I

7. In a library stack structure having a plurality of columns, a deckplate secured to each of said columns and serving to prevent lateraldis-7 placement thereof, spaced portions of said plate serving toreceive andsupport shelving or book receiving units, spaced flanges onsaid plate for locating and retaining suitable flooring material, andventilating means between one of said portions and one of said flanges.

8 In a structural frame for library stacks having a plurality ofuniformly spaced upstanding columns,'a deckco'mprised of plates, each ofsaid plates being directly joined to four adjacent columns, the endportions of said plates serving to receive and'support shelving or bookreceiving units, curb means between said end portions for locating andretaining suitable flooring material, light and ventilating meansbetween said curb means and one of said end portions.

ELMER W. COLEMAN.

